West of Rockeskyll lies Rockeskyller Kopf, a Quaternary volcanic complex. Exposed sections of its former crater wall and the lava lake phase make its geological history tangible. The formations are used for geotourism and can be seen along Geopark Gerolstein Route 3; explanatory signs provide guidance on the geological topics.
Circular Trail and Village Church
The circular hike around Rockeskyller Kopf begins and ends in Rockeskyll at the parking lot opposite the church. It is 4.4 kilometers long and takes about an hour and a half. Along the way, volcanic formations and information boards are among the listed stops, as are a panoramic viewpoint and views towards Kasselburg and the Kyll Valley. This gives you a clearly defined loop with a specified duration to help plan your time. Check the route information before your hike.
The church in the village center is the Late Gothic parish church of St. Bartholomew. It was built in 1511 on a small hill. Together with the parking lot opposite, it provides a clear local reference point for the start and finish of the circular hike. In Rockeskyll, a geological exploration at the volcanic hill and a precisely dated building in the village center thus offer different aspects of a visit.
The Volcanic Eifel in a Broader Context
The wider travel destination of the Volcanic Eifel provides another geological context. So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Volcanic Eifel; 350 eruption centers have also been counted there, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place about 10,900 years ago. These regional facts place the volcanic history in a broader context.
The hiking options in the wider travel destination of the Volcanic Eifel also cater to different time frames. The Volcanic Eifel Trails lead to scenic highlights on both sides of the Eifelsteig; they are marked and signposted and offer half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. The eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometers long. For a look at geology in a museum, the Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun features three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The interactive Strohn Volcano House features a geological exhibit: a lava fissure wall around six meters long and four meters high, about 30,000 years old.
The time required is a helpful point of comparison when planning your trip: the Rockeskyll loop takes about an hour and a half, while the Volcanic Eifel Trails also include longer hiking options. If you are looking for hotels in Rockeskyll, you can plan your stay according to whether your main interest is the local area around Rockeskyller Kopf and the village center, or the Volcanic Eifel more broadly.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Duppach, MĂĽllenborn, Gees, MĂĽrlenbach, Salm, Berlingen, Oos, Pelm.
To the wider travel overview: Gerolstein.
